Her Eternal Kindness
by Harbinger of Anime Babes
Summary: Her death has scarred all of Forget-Me-Not Valley, and left her husband silent. She saved a young woman from living a life of loneliness. Farmer Nina recalls deep memories of her elderly friend of the same name. Oneshot.


Her bright spirit will never escape my memories. It didn't matter to me that she was elderly, or the fact that her husband was so cranky. She brought light to the darkness in Forget-Me-Not Valley.

She was the kind of lady who wouldn't brush Murray off; rather, she would fix him up something sweet. Several times she had donated a few gold coins to him. It is unknown to anyone if she really believed he was going to make it back to Popo Valley, or if it even existed for that matter.

She had let Mukumuku stay in her house every time Daryl went out looking to capture him. She told me that wild animals need to be left alone; she wasn't about to let some scientist corrupt him.

I never met my grandparents. On my mother's side, they never cared to visit. Those on my father's side lived in a far off island. They only wrote me once, telling me that they were sorry for my loss. I didn't understand why no one wanted to be there for me. Takakura tried, sure, but we only exchanged a few words each day.

He wasn't like _her._

She was my inspiration, my guiding light, my hope. She became a significant part of my life; she became my family. She was my everything. I loved her.

I still remember the first day we met.

* * *

><p>It was raining. My crops didn't need my attention so I decided to go for a walk. I didn't own a parasol; I liked the feeling of the sky's tears drifting down my face. I couldn't cry, but I liked to know that someone else—something else—could.<p>

I hadn't been feeling much of anything lately. My father died and I was stuck with a farm. I couldn't refuse it; it was his life and he wanted me to continue it and pass it on to my children.

It was the day I was ready to give everything up. I knew Takakura wouldn't be happy; I knew everyone would hate it. I just couldn't do it anymore. I wasn't happy with anything. I never spoke to anyone except that tall, dark man that resided on my farm.

I walked aimlessly until I came upon a pond. I sat down next to a turtle that seemed fraught with loneliness. It laid its head on my foot and I patted its shell.

The tears in my eyes screamed to come out, but their exit was denied.

I watched the raindrops fall thoughtlessly and plink on top of the pond. One by one, the drops formed ringlets that slowly broadened.

This was when I noticed that the water was everywhere but on me. I looked up to see an old lady with squinted eyes and curled hair holding an umbrella over me. "You'll catch cold, dear." Her voice was filled with compassion; she had a soft, gentle smile on her face.

I was taken aback by her kindness. Never had I seen her before; never had anyone in this village treated me with such amity. "Let's go back to my house for some cocoa, dear. You need to warm up." She reached down for my hand. I brushed her hand away and stood myself up.

"Are you sure you want someone dirty like me in your house?" I didn't want to burden her.

She simply smiled, handed me her parasol, and began walking without an answer. I couldn't let her walk all the way home without a rain-block. "M-Miss…I'll take you home, okay? Just be careful." She looked so tiny and frail. What I didn't know, however, was that her spirit was strong.

She stayed silent the whole way home, an eternal smile resting upon her face.

We reached her home, a cute little hut on a hill. Her husband was cranky, and had a bad attitude towards me. Towards his wife, though, he was sweet and generous.

I sipped my hot cocoa. It was the most delicious liquid that ever passed through my lips.

As the last bits slid down my throat, her husband grumped out a couple of statements and questions. "Oh, and by the way… I'm Galen. You be nice to my wife, you hear me missy?" His face showed a hit of a smile as he continued. "What do people call you? Where'd you come from, anyway?"

"I'm a rancher, taking over for my father," I began, wiping my mouth off. "My name is Nina."

The silver-haired woman's smile grew warmer, as she replied, "Nice to meet you, Nina. My name is Nina."

* * *

><p>Everything about Nina drew me closer to her: her attitude about life, her fighting spirit, the fact that we shared the same name.<p>

I never would have guessed she was so sick. All those days I spent time with her and Galen, she seemed so alive.

* * *

><p>We liked to gossip about the boys in town. She was trying to help me become a little more social. "You're in the prime of your life…" She said this <em>so<em> many times. "You better start looking at those men before they're whisked away by someone else!"

I smiled weakly, as if any of these men would have an interest in me.

A knock came on the door at that moment, as if on cue. "Come in, dear!" she called.

A man with a short beard came in carrying a guitar. He nodded at me and asked Nina if she had any requests this week.

"Gustafa here plays a song for me once a week, Nina," she whispered in my ear. "Gustafa," she began, looking up at the tall man. "Why don't you let _Nina_ pick a song?"

He beamed at me. "Nina, you say? So now we have Nina _squared._"

"How clever!" Nina laughed, enjoying his company.

"So," he started, squatting down to look me in the eyes. "What do you, _Nina_, want me to play?"

I knew what I was about to say was going to sound really lame, but it was the only thing I could think of.

"Play…" I looked between Nina and Gustafa. "Play the song that your soul is singing."

* * *

><p>We're married now, Gustafa and I. Nina and Galen were first to arrive at our wedding, and the last to leave the reception.<p>

She was the one who encouraged us to be together. We grew closer through his weekly visits to Nina's house. He started showing up more and more; one day he came to my house and proposed.

Nina was the first I told, of course. She was my best friend.

I lost my mind when she suddenly disappeared.

* * *

><p>I picked a basket of Nina's favorite yellow flowers and baked a sweet peach cobbler. Gustafa and I headed over to her house, hand-in-hand.<p>

All of a sudden, it felt wrong to knock on the door. Everything felt wrong. It was silent. I stepped in the house without a knock, and saw Galen sitting in the corner of the house.

He turned his head, a tear in his eye. I knew what he was going to say, but I couldn't believe it.

"She's…gone, Nina." His voice choked on my name, as though it was too hard for him to muster. I fell to my knees, my face in my hands. The tears wouldn't come, though.

* * *

><p>It took me three seasons before I could even speak about her. It was about the time that Galen himself had passed as well.<p>

I was lying in bed with Gustafa, talking about our future as a family. We were thinking about children.

I sat up. "…I wish Nina could have met them…" I managed to spit out.

He sat up as well, and looked directly into my eyes. "Nina, are you okay?"

I finally felt like I was coming out of my turtle shell. It took me two years in Forget-Me-Not Valley; and I finally shared my feelings. I don't know how my husband put up with me for the previous year.

Tears rolled down my face for the first time in years. They drifted down to my chin, and plummeted onto our blanket. Gustafa embraced me tightly, knowing this was a huge breakthrough for me.

I could finally admit her death to myself.

* * *

><p>Gustafa and I have three children now: Irving, Noah, and Kiki. Nina told me at one point that she always loved the name Irving. I thought it was old-fashioned, but it grew on me. I promised her that if I ever bore a son, I would give him that name.<p>

We teach our children to never hide themselves from society. They need to live their lives to the fullest for the greater part of their lives. We teach them to never judge one at first sight.

Everyone has a bad day, but no one should be forced to live a bad life. We want to make a difference, like Nina.

We worked towards the goal of sending Murray back to his home village, so he would never starve again. It took about a year and a half to work up enough money, but he made it there. We were sad to see him go, but we knew it was sometimes better to let someone go.

I learned that form Nina. If we kept her here, her body would have kept suffering. That's why our family works toward promoting the well-being of all creatures.

* * *

><p>Although Nina has passed on physically, her kind spirit will eternally reside in Forget-Me-Not Valley.<p> 


End file.
